As Blackpink, Exo’s Baekhyun and Japan’s Nizi all top charts and break world records, K-pop’s global dominance is officially complete
The “big 3” K-pop companies, YG, SM and JYP, are enjoying an era of previously unimaginable success, with Korean idols now conquering charts not just at home, but all around the world. For years now the hallyu wave has been growing but, once dismissed as a passing fad, it’s now clear that K-pop will be a culture-shaping force to be reckoned with for years to come – as these three recent chart-topping and record-breaking achievements prove.
Before BTS, EXO and Blackpink: top 10 K-pop songs turning 10 this year
Blackpink breaks Guinness World Records with How You Like That
K-pop phenomenon Blackpink has collected several Guinness World Records titles with its new song How You Like That. Released on June 26, the song and its music video created an unprecedented buzz around the world, garnering 86.3 million views on YouTube within its first day live.
Blackpink’s members – Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé and Lisa – also presented a grand YouTube premiere of the song on the day of its release, which alone clocked a total of 1.66 million live viewers that Guinness World Records revealed set another two records for the group: “Most viewers for the premiere of a video on YouTube” and “Most viewers for the premiere of a music video on YouTube”.
Is this the end of Blackpink as we know it?
This article originally appeared on Korea Times
Baekhyun's solo album sells over 1 million copies
The group's main vocalist also became the first artist in 20 years to be a “million-seller” with both a band and as a solo act. Previously, legendary singer Seo Taiji was the only artist to achieve this feat, clocking one million sales both as a group – Seo Taiji and Boys – and as a solo artist.
Before Blackpink and Gaga: the 6 biggest K-pop collaborations
Baekhyun earlier achieved the record with Exo, as the group sold over a million copies for five consecutive albums, beginning with its first studio album XOXO, released in 2013.
This article originally appeared on Korea Times
JYP's all-Japanese girl group tops music charts with pre-debut track
The lead single off the namesake mini-album, Make You Happy, conquered the charts on Line Music, AWA and Rakuten among others, and its music video had clocked up more than 33 million views on YouTube at the time of writing. The company is home to big-name K-pop groups including Twice and Got7.
16 K-pop stars that aren’t Korean – from Blackpink's Lisa to Twice's Momo
The four-track album also topped the iTunes album chart in Japan. It offers three B-sides including Beyond the Rainbow, Boom Boom Boom and Baby I'm a Star.
When K-pop fans become ‘sasaeng’ fans – and start stalking their idols
NiziU consists of nine winners of the Nizi Rainbow Project, an audition program made by JYP and Sony to seek Japanese-speaking singer hopefuls. On the show that aired in Japan earlier this year, Mako, Riku, Rima, Rio, Maya, Miihi, Mayuka, Ayaka and Nina were singled out.
The act is aiming to make an official debut in November.
These articles originally appeared on Korea Times
Want more stories like this? Sign up here. Follow STYLE on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter .
Once dismissed as a passing fad, these three new chart-topping releases prove once and for all that K-pop will be a culture-shaping international force to be reckoned with for years to come